Leyha's Story
by Kitty-Kat0101
Summary: This is the story of Leyha. She use to be Human... before the day she found her mother dead on the floor with a strange pale woman feeding from her. Now she's neither Human, Moroi, Dhampir or Strigoi... what is she?  Larger summary on page
1. Chapter 1

**Ok so this is my first time writing a fan fiction (officially) and I'd really like it if I got some reviews about it. I will be writing more but I thought this might be a good start. But ANYWAYYYYY I hope you like it! :)**

**This FF follows the journey of a 17 year old girl named Leyha who's confronted with her mother's dead body one day and a mysterious woman who appears to be almost unearthly. She will eventually meet the gang (Lissa, Rose, Dimitri, Adrian, Christian etc…) but for now I'm just going to introduce you to Leyha the human girl who has something happen to her that she wishes she never did (ok yeah, it sounds kind of lame now but it will get better, PROMISE! Hahaha :)**

I ran from my bedroom to the lounge room when I heard the scream. I looked down and stared at the image in front of me, trying to comprehend what was happening.

There, before my eyes, was a women crouched before my mother in what looked like an intimate embrace. It looked as if she was… kissing her neck.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" I screamed.

The women turned sharply to look at me. Something sickly red was running down from her mouth, standing bright and noticeable against her deathly pale skin. She bared her teeth at me like an animal protecting her prey. She's beautiful and elegant despite the fact she has, what appeared to be blood, dripping from her mouth. Her canines were sharp. Her red eyes flared at me.

"Leave child," she hissed between clenched teeth. I detected a slight French accent. Her eyes flared again and I flinched. Something in my head told me to leave and to forget what I saw.

I turned around and heard the sound of a moan from the floor. Something was there… something was behind me… but I can't remember… what is it?

"Leyha," a voice moaned from the floor.

_MOM!_

I turned sharply around to see woman leap at me with lightning speed and tackle me to the ground.

"GET OFF!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I tried to push her off but her strength was far surpassed mine. She bit my neck and I cried out in anguish before a numb pleasant feeling over took me.

I caught sight of my mother on the floor while the woman started to suck _my blood_. My Mother wasn't moving. She wasn't breathing. She was dead. The pain of her loss took over and controlled me. No matter how much this woman biting me was intoxicating the pain of my Mother was stronger.

"NOOOOOOO!" I screamed.

The woman was startled by my outburst and stoped what she was doing.

"The child doesn't like the touch of my bite," the woman said to herself, as if someone in the room was there and could join in the conversation. "Perhaps I missed the vein…?"

The woman moved fast and had her mouth by the other side of my neck within a second. She bit hard and started to suck at my blood again. This time the intoxicating pleasure that had overcome me before did not arrive and all I felt was the pure tortuous pain of her biting my flesh.

"ENOUGH! PLEASE STOP!" I yelled struggling against her to get away. "PLEASE!"

Again, startled by my outburst, the woman stopped again and looked at me quizzically.

"The child smells awful… did you notice?" the woman asked the air quizzically. "I smelt her scent on the birth giver but the child is definitely different. She smells like… I can't place my finger on it. What do you think?"

I struggled against the woman again while the woman waited silently as if the air was responding to her question.

"No… she is. I can taste that she is. She possesses no Moiri or dhampir blood," the woman said to herself. She was making no sense. What was she on about? I have two holes on either side of my neck that is making me bleed to death while I can't move a muscle and a crazy lady rambles on about things I don't understand to someone who isn't even there.

"I shall take her to Rofashil," she said in her strong French accent. "He shall reward me I am sure."

My body couldn't handle everything and finally just gave out. I passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke tied to a chair in darkness. The only light was coming from under a door about five meters from me. My eyes could only pick up dark silhouettes of objects and people in the room. It smelt like… death.

"The child stirs, Rafashil," the now familiar French accent said into the dead silence. I flinched as the memories of what had happened earlier came rushing to my mind.

"I can see that, Aurore," a deep male voice responded. I assume this was Rafashil. He sounded… English? Strange as his name implies that he would be foreign from a far country.

"What will you do with her?" said another male voice from across the room. I swivel my head fast to try and squint my eyes to see who is talking but darkness is all I could see from this far away.

"Never you mind, Dominic," said Rafashil in a guarded voice. "This is my business and my business alone."

"But Raf—," started the pale French woman who I now know as Aurore, but she was cut off by an interruption by Rafashil.

"I said this is my business, Aurore! You have down well to give to me a human mostly resistant to our abilities. She is strong and willful. I'm sure her body can handle the… procedure," Rafashil said as if there was almost a light trace of humor in his voice as he said "Procedure".

I tried to clear my voice and talk but it came out almost inaudible and croaky. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

I heard a stir in the air before suddenly the outline of Aurore stood over me. She bent down and put her cold cheek to mine so that she could whisper in my ear so silently that it would be impossible for anyone to hear.

"Be brave child. Join us soon," Aurore said almost motherly. She paused for a second in thought before saying silently, "…forgive me." I wasn't sure if she was talking to me though, or her imaginary friend.

"Enough, Aurore. You and Dominic are to leave immediately and to tend to the rest of the Strigoi clan," Rafashil commanded.

The door opened and closed, blinding me with the light that streamed through. I closed my eyes, and, by the time I had opened them again, I was alone in the room with Rafashil.

He walked closer to me and knelt down so that I assume my eyes were level with his. I could see that he had a strong, tall masculine figure. I could not see his eyes, only the slight glow of his white teeth. His canines mesmerized me before I snapped out of it and started to whine and struggle against my ties on my hands and feet.

"Hush now child…," he said soothingly. "You will experience great pain, but, when it is over, you shall experience great strength."

That was the last I remembered for a long time. I think maybe months went past but I couldn't be sure. All I knew was that it was a long time. Every day, every minute and every second of it was beyond agonizing. Something I could never forget is that pain. The things that happened to me will maybe always remain a mystery to me though.

Weeks… maybe months passed now and I came aware of a faint beeping sound. The smell of germ disinfectant and sanitizing products burned my nose and I could feel those cheap almost plastic sheets you find in hospitals under my fingertips. Where was I?

I opened my eyes slowly only to close them again as my eyes couldn't adjust to the sudden light in the room. I breathed in slowly and opened my eyes again.

Everything seemed blurry at first. I could see the faint outline of curtains and a silhouette in the bed in front of me. I was almost certain I was in some kind of hospital.

Memories of the dark room, my mother dead and the strange people came back to me and I screamed. I convulsed violently on the bed and my body has a spasm.

A hand was clenched over my mouth and I could feel a pill being forced down my throat.

"It's alright. You're safe now," said a soothing unfamiliar voice. I took comfort in knowing that this voice was someone I'd never met before and had no accent.

I closed my eyes and relaxed a little as the sedative drugs she had made me swallow kicked in.

Maybe a few hours later I became aware to whispers of a conversation between two people at the foot of my bed. The drugs were still too strong to allow me to move but I was able to over hear their conversation.

"Have you seen her eyes?" asked a squeaky female voice. I imagined her as a smallish woman, quite young and inexperienced.

"Yes. Eye redness can be due to swollen or dilated blood vessels, which cause the surface of the eye to look red, or bloodshot," replied an official sounding woman. I could picture her in a perfect suit with not even a hair out of place. She was obviously intelligent. Maybe she was a doctor?

"That's only for the whites though… not the iris. And how would you explain the fact that we can hardly even put a needle in her arm? They've nearly broken each time," asked the squeaky voiced girl again.

There was a pause for a minute before the official woman answered.

"I don't know… maybe she has localized linear scleroderma. That's when you have areas of the skin harden due to a disease called Scleroderma. It's caused by your body producing too much collagen, the protein that makes up connective tissues," the official woman replied, slightly annoyed at the squeaky woman. She sounded tired.

"Yes, I know what it is," the Squeaky girl snapped. She sounded annoyed now. "But that's only when streaks of hardened skin appear on arms, legs, or forehead. This girl obviously has this all over her body not just streaks on certain parts. Not to mention that it shouldn't have become _this_ hard. Her skin is almost impenetrable."

"Look I don't know, ok? I'm just making medical assumptions," the official woman snapped back. She was definitely over talking to squeaky girl. "I don't know anything about this girl. She turns up by a random who found her half dead on the streets. I examined her body. There are no signs that she's been hurt at all. No bruises, cuts or anything. She just looks… tired."

I opened my eyes then to look at the people who were almost certainly just been talking about me.

"Who are you?" I asked in a hoarse voice. I could see that the imagery in my head of the woman hadn't been too far off their actual appearance.

They both turned to look at me. The squeaky girl flinched when she saw me. What was she looking at?

The official looking woman, who I now realize is a doctor, walked over to me. She looked down at me and examined my reactions.

"Hi sweetie, I'm Dr. Suzie Lang. This is my intern, Lucy Frost," said the doctor. "How are you feeling?"

I was sort of overwhelmed by everything. Everything was so… clear. I swear I could hear cars from outside as well. Is this what it is like to have a hangover?

"I'm feelings… ok," I said hoarsely. I couldn't help but keep looking around at my surroundings. Everything was just so different. Everything looked… _new. _

"That's good," Dr. Lang said and smiled sweetly at me. "Can you tell me your name?"

I stopped for a second and had to think. Everything was confusing.

"My name…," I said and trailed off in thought. "My name is…Leyha."

"Leyha… that's a very pretty name." she smiled at me again. I could sense she felt uneasy though. Something was wrong.

"What's wrong with me Doctor?" I asked confused.

"Nothing major from what I can tell from my examination. Can you tell me what happened to you Leyha?" she asked.

I thought back to the back room. _PAIN… PAIN… PAIN…_

I screamed.

Dr. Lang covered my mouth and tried to sooth me. "Hush sweetie, hush now. It's over," she cooed to me over and over until I relaxed enough for her to remove her hand.

I took a deep breath and prepared to answer her.

"I remember…," I started hesitantly, "…a dark room. I was tied up. There was a man there…he… experimented on me…." I started to cry.

"It's ok Leyha… it's over now," the doctor said reassuringly. She cupped my cheek and wiped my tears away. I could smell something delicious nearby. I could feel my stomach growl. I could hear a continuous pulsing sound that accompanied the beeping of the heart rate monitors. My machine started to beep faster.

The doctor removed her hand from my cheek and the smell disappeared. What was it? Maybe someone had walked past with a food trolley.

"Why do you all stare at me? Is there something wrong with me? Give me a mirror," I asked increasingly starting to worry. The heart rate monitor started to beep faster again.

Doctor Lang gave me a mirror and I stared into it.

My face had a slight paleness to it but I still had my blushing red cheeks. My thick brown hair hung in a tattered mess that would probably take hours to comb. That wasn't the worst part though. I looked at my eyes that had always been the clearest, deepest shade of blue…

…and they were scarlet red.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! All ideas and feedback is VERY welcome! :) **

-xxxxxxx-

_I'M A MONSTER!_

I dropped the mirror and crawled in a ball as far away from it as the bed would let me. The heart rate monitor was continuously beeping fast. I pulled off the thumb sensor that was making it beep and was finally met with silence. I couldn't comprehend what was happening to me.

I looked down at my hand. My nails were perfect and my hands almost looked elegant. My skin still had the slight paleness to it, though it was nothing like what Aurore's appearance with her chalky white paleness.

"_What's wrong with me!_" I screeched.

"I'm sorry Leyha… we have no idea," Doctor Suzie Lang said sympathetically. "Your condition is… something we can only make assumptions on. We can make guesses to what you have but in reality we have no idea. I don't think what you have is serious. You're body is working perfectly. You have a steady heart beat, you're blood pressure is good and your vitals show no troubles. We'll keep you here for a few weeks for further examination though. Is there someone we can contact?"

I thought for a minute. My Mom had raised me as a single mother because my father had ran off before I was born. The scum hadn't even seen me before. I knew nothing about him. He was just a heartless man in my eyes. He hadn't wanted me. On top of having no father, there was the fact that we'd recently moved to Montana because my mum had got a job teaching at a school. This meant I didn't know anyone here. The only people I knew were back in my home in California.

Then I realised I didn't even know where I was.

"…Where am I?" I asked hesitantly.

"You're in a local hospital in Montana," she replied. At least I knew I was still close to my house.

"I just moved here… and I never knew my father."

She looked at me apologetically. "Don't worry. We'll see to it that you get home, Leyha. What about your mother?"

_MOM!_

It finally hit me how I couldn't return home now my mother was dead. I don't think I could handle it if I returned home and had to relive seeing that image.

"My Mother! Please! She was killed in my house by a woman named Aurore. She kidnapped me and handed me over to a man named Rofashil. That's when he did the…," I wanted to cry again.

"Of course," she said. "LUCY! Call 911."

Doctor Lang looked at me worried now. "It's the 24th today. Do you know how long you've been gone?"

"…The 24th of February?" I asked confused.

"No… the 24th of May…."

I couldn't move. I was in shock. I'd been gone for almost three months.

"Her body… do you think it's been found already?" I asked.

"I haven't heard anything Leyha…."

I started to cry again. I noticed for the first time that my tears weren't clear either. They were bright red. _I was crying blood?_

"Oh sweetie… this must be so hard for you, I know," she said and took my hand. "Come on. Let's get you up and see if you can walk."

She helped me from my balled up position to stand on my feet.

I stumbled from the shock I got from feeling my limbs move. _Power_. My limbs were powerful and energetic. I swear I could run for miles.

Doctor Lang caught me in her arms and that delicious smell returned again.

_Thump, thump… thump, thump… thump, thump… _

What was that sound? But more importantly… what was that _smell? _I swear it was the most delicious thing I'd ever smelt.

My teeth ached and I suddenly felt two pricks in my skin inside my mouth. I touched the spot where the aching was and could feel the pointed edge of my now extended sharp canines. _WHAT WAS GOING ON?_

I took a deep breath and my stomach growled as the smell filled my nostrils. I had an urge to bite something close. _What did I want to bite?_

Doctor Lang had caught me when I'd stumbled as I first got up. My head was resting on her shoulder; my head was facing towards her neck.

That's when I saw it.

There was a vein on her neck. I could almost see it pulsing. That's where the sound was coming from. "_Thump, thump… thump, thump… thump, thump…," _it continued to go.

It was driving me crazy. I wanted to… wanted to… wanted to…bite… it….

I froze in place. That's where the smell was coming from. I wanted to bite her. To… _feed…_off her. To taste her…

Within a second my teeth sunk into her neck and her red thick warm blood poured into my mouth. She screamed and screamed. I thought back to when I was bitten. Wasn't she supposed to feel that pleasure I felt the first time Aurore had bitten me?

I'd figured out by now that whatever sickness I had was similar, if not the same, as Aurore's and Rofashil's.

Doctor Lang continued to scream in pain and struggled against me while I fed from her. This went on for a few minutes until I could feel she didn't have much life left in her; maybe none at all.

I let go of her body and it fell to the ground now limp. Her blood made me feel so strong, so powerful. This was amazing. I wanted more.

I could hear footsteps coming towards the door, coming to see where the screaming was coming from. I ran for the door and was surprised when I was there within a seconds. I was _fast._ I was _strong. _I had just drunk _blood. Oh god_… I'd just drunk _blood_. I felt sick.

I sprinted from the room so fast that everything was a blur. The only thing I could see was the direction I was focusing on. I ran towards where I hope I would find a bathroom.

I ran into one room and found a supply cupboard. _Damn, not a bathroom._

Too late; I couldn't hold down the blood any longer. I found a bucket and threw up the contents of my stomach. It was disgusting. The blood no longer smelt good or appealing. There was a bottle of water that I assumed belonged to a janitor. I drank deeply from it. This was exactly what I needed.

Someone screamed from far away. They'd found Doctor Lang. I had to leave. _NOW!_


	4. Chapter 4

My body reacted before my mind could catch up. I was a blur again, running down the halls of the hospital trying to find somewhere to get out. I was an animal in a cage and I had to get out. My head only contained one thought; _RUN._

I paused for a second to quickly scan and assess the area. I had to look for a way out.

My eyes caught something on the roof. A sign. An _exit _sign.

I followed the chain of signs hoping that one might actually lead me out. It seemed to go on forever. One sign would lead me to another in an endless maze. It was madness.

I finally caught sight of electronic doors of the exit and I run threw them. I'd made it; I was finally outside. I took a breath of fresh air and let the light of the sun keep me warm on the cold winter's morning. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been in sunlight; let alone seen the sun. Everything in my past had been a blur to me now. Believing in something you thought was real doesn't make it the truth.

Voices behind me caught my attention and made me become aware that I still wasn't safe yet. I had to flee. Where though?

"There she is!" someone shouted behind me.

Too late.

I ran again. I ran as fast as I could. For miles I continued to go. My legs never grew tired, I never grew weak. I had to keep going; to keep running. Even when I was sure no one would find me I continued to run. What was I running from now though? Them… or… myself?

I caught sight of a woodland area. I could hide there. Live off the land. It's not like someone could hurt me. If I could run for miles and… attack… another human without hesitation then I'm sure I could survive and spend my life in the woods.

Deep into the woods I ran. I could already feel my body take over and lead me through the endless trees via instinct. I wasn't an animal… but I sure as hell weren't human anymore. There's nothing humane about what I did to Doctor La—_her. _

After searching for maybe over an hour I found an old wood cabin. The smell of dust and rotting wood was intoxicating but I would have to manage as this would be my home for the remainder of my life; however long that might be for a monster like myself.

I found old dusty sheets on a creaky rusted metal bed. I don't even know if I still needed to sleep so I left the bed untouched and noticed the rest of the room. Most of it was rotting wood made furniture. One table, one chair, a few cabinets and a cupboard were all made from the same type of wood. There was also an old rug on the floor by a fire place and the random remains of what use to be a hat on the table. I had to admit that this cabin was far more then I could have hoped to find in the middle of nowhere.

I decided it was going to be a cold night so I went out to get fire wood. Within half an hour I had a fire going and I curled up beside it with I blanket. My eyes became heavy and before I knew it, I was fast asleep and dreaming of home in California.

**-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-**

I woke up in the morning by a growling stomach. I had slept the entire night and was still coming to terms with the events of yesterday. I had bitten, maybe _killed_, a human. But not just that. I'd sucked her blood. What was I? What could make me this way?

I decided to look for food. I had found a few cans of backed beans, fruits, and soups but it couldn't satisfy what I wanted at the moment. I needed meat. Maybe find a rabbit or something to catch and eat. I also needed to find water before I dehydrated.

I sneaked through the forest trying to hunt. Anything with maybe a bit of meat on it to sink my teeth into; these weird… freaky… pointy… canines of mine ached to touch flesh.

Movement to my left caught my attention and I crouched down to let my new instincts guide me. This was the hunt. It gave me a slight rush.

A rabbit ran across my vision and I ran after it in a flash. Before the rabbit could even make it five meters I had it in my hands and snapped its small neck. I could smell its blood and the same compulsion from yesterday took over. I bit its neck and sucked it dry from blood. It satisfied me but I was still hungry.

I headed back to the cabin finding two more rabbits (which I drunk dry) and a small freshwater stream that I drunk deeply from also. It seemed I needed blood, water and food to satisfy myself.

I got back to the cabin and made a small fire to cook the rabbits on. It was delicious. I finally felt full for the first time in ages.

I need to lie down so I went inside and curled up on the bed. I just laid there and thought about what my life was going to be like now; about what these new changes meant for me now.

_Exhausting,_ I thought. Yes… life was now going to be exhausting.

**-xxxxxxxx-**

**A/N: THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR READING :) Please don't forget to review and check in often for updates. I update nearly every day!**


	5. Chapter 5

Life seemed to have the same schedule every day now. Nothing ever changed.

I'd wake up in the morning and go down to the lake to bathe and clean my clothes. After that was done I'd refill my canteen I'd made out of animal skin to hold water. The whole bathing and water-filling thing only took me about an hour. After I'd finish I'd then hunt for two hours for rabbits for food and blood. I'd only hunt what I could eat within two days though. My blood lust wasn't too bad so long as I didn't leave it for more than a week. If I had to hunt though I found the temptation of the blood overwhelmed me, making me have to drink no matter how much I tried to stop it. After hunting I'd then return back to the cabin where I'd cook my food and collect nearby fallen trees for firewood. I found I was strong enough to break most boughs of trees in half but not nearly strong enough to pull a tree out the ground or break the trunk of a tree unless I ran up and kicked it down. My lifestyle made me forget about my past and made me a hunter more than a human. I was a monster.

One day though I sat in the field by the stream taking a break from the usual events. I wanted to enjoy the scenery of the mountains and to really just breathe the fresh air. The grass covered me like a blanket, the wind caressed my face softly, the sun warmed my body and the water kept me refreshed. It was amazing. I _felt_ amazing. It was like I had a connection with all the different things.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on how the grass was like my blanket. When I opened them again the grass had grown almost twice in size and had even grown flowers among the weeds. It was amazing. I couldn't believe I'd done that.

I found out that I had a connection with the elements that day. They were a part of me and they helped me to survive just as much as my strength and speed. It was nice to have vegetables I'd grown to have with my daily rabbit and blood. Made life seem not so bad knowing that the connection was always there to surround and ground me.

**-xxxxxxxxxx-**

**Rose Hathaway's POV**

I couldn't believe I had to freaking go out on a strigoi hunt. I thought doing these little raids was over. I was Lissa's Guardian now. She was The Queen. Why should I be risking my butt for a rumor that a strigoi has been staking out the grounds in a cabin to the south? I'm sure St. Vladimir's Academy could handle one strigoi with the guardians they had on campus.

I sighed out loud and earned a few weird looks from the other five guardians accompanying me and a smirk from Dimitri. I graciously returned the five guardian's looks with one of my own… and a finger.

It was obvious I didn't want to be here. Me, Lissa, Dimitri, Christian, and, as much as I'd hate to say it, Adrian, had all decided we should visit our old academy to check up on all our old mentors and friends who were younger students. It was a good idea. Lissa was going to give a few classes on the education of spirit and life experiences of what it's like to be Queen. Christian, being the little lap dog boyfriend he is, tagged along as well; making the plane trip hell with his complaining about going back to school. Of course if Lissa and Christian were going then Dimitri and I were going too. We were their Guardians. We also were asked to give a class on combat techniques. It was a good idea in theory and I told them I would let them know if I got time since I would be tagging along with Lissa wherever she went. Adrian was coming because… well… he's Adrian. He helps Lissa with her spirit but mostly he just tags along because he's bored.

Dimitri looked over at me and gave me an apologetic look as if to say in his Russian accent _"Roza… I know you don't want to be here but hang on. Doing this for the academy means a lot to them and we should do as much to help them out. You wouldn't even be here if they hadn't accepted you back into the school after you ran away. Just think about how much you're helping them." _

Yes… I got all that from one look. I sighed again and focused on tracking the trail of broken leaves and sticks left by either a large animal or human-like creature. It was the best lead we had.

"Guardian Hathaway," called a random Guardian named George.

I walked over to him and saw drops of blood. Crouching down I touched the blood with my finger so I could bring it to my nose to smell it.

"It's not Human," I announced, "or Moiri or Dhampir. It smells like maybe a small animal like a rabbit." A few of the guardians sighed in relief and Dimitri came over to inspect the scene for himself.

"The trail leads south-east, Roza," Dimitri whispered to me. "They're probably hiding in an abandoned cabin or house."

"I think you're right," I agreed.

We continued on our way following the trail until the structure of what appeared to be a cabin came into view. I signaled for Dimitri to take two Guardians around the back to check for any clues or block any unknown exits. The other three and I were going to storm the front door and kill the thing while it was stuck inside due to sunlight.

I checked the dusty old window and saw only a moving dark silhouette move about. I quickly ducked so they wouldn't know I was here and signaled for the other guardians to get ready with the enchanted silver chain to tie it up with for interrogation. We had to make sure there weren't anymore Strigoi anywhere in the area.

_1…2…3…_

_BANG!_

The Guardians broke down the door with stakes and chains ready for capturing it. Capturing a Strigoi was hard as killing them is usually the preferred method but, in this case, the Strigoi was within a mile of the Academy so we had to make sure there weren't more of them.

I ran in and quickly evaluated the room. A girl was cowering in the corner on the bed curled up in a ball. She had her eyes closed and her face was stained red with blood. The stain wasn't near her mouth though, they were near her eyes.

"Hathaway, is this the strigoi?" George asked confused. He'd never actually experienced a strigoi in real life which is why he'd been excited to hop on board with this raid.

I examined the girl further. She had long luscious dark brown hair and long thick, dark eye lashes. Her skin was mostly normal with a pale tinge to it but her cheeks had a natural blush. She looked about 17 but she was clearly scared for her life making her look younger.

Dimitri walked in and quickly evaluated the room as I had done.

"What's going on?" he asked confusion like we were. "Is this even a strigoi? She looks like a Human or Dhampir girl to me."

Dimitri walked up to her.

"Be careful Dimitri… I could be a trap…," I said cautiously.

The girl continued to weep silently in her balled position. She looked like she didn't want to be hurt. Great survival tactic if you're a strigoi. She didn't look like one though. Her skin wasn't the same chalky white colour. It was slightly pale though.

"Please… leave me alone," the girl sobbed.

Dimitri crouched in front of the bed so that the girl's eyes would be level with his.

"Are you a Strigoi?" Dimitri asked.

"What are you talking about? What's a strigoi? Ever since my Mother died all I've heard is crazy talk from strangers. Moiri… Dhampir… Strigoi…? What the hell are you all on about?" the girl screamed out. "I just wanted to live alone here away from all of you and yet you find me. I don't want to be a Monster!"

Dimitri turned to me with a questioning look. I shrugged. I didn't know what to make of this. She could be a confused Strigoi who doesn't know what she is or she could just be a human caught in the middle of things. By the sounds of it she'd been dragged into a lot of shit already.

"What's your name?" Dimitri asked in a soothing voice.

The girl stuttered a bit before answering between sobs. "Leyha."

"Well Leyha… will you look at me please?" Dimitri asked. What was he getting at?

The girl stopped crying for and took a deep breath. Her blanket was covered in blood \and her face was stained from it. She wiped at the stains and paused.

That's when she looked up. All the guardians including Dimitri and I flinched at her. She had bright scarlet eyes. The colour of blood.

"_CHAINS!"_ I commanded. The guardians hesitated a second before grabbing the chains and wrapping them around her wrists and arms. I leaped for her and grabbed her by the neck, pushing her to the ground. She didn't move. She just laid there. I kicked her in the stomach and punched her in the face. It seemed unnecessary as she want even trying to defend herself or run away but I couldn't take chances with a girl with red eyes.

The girl began to cry again. She was crying blood. This girl was beyond messed up.

She didn't scream out at the pain of the enchanted silver on her flesh. She only sobbed quietly while we did it.

Five minutes later she was tied up securely in chains to a chair.

"What are you?" Dimitri asked, clearly as shocked as everyone else at this girl.

She sat quietly. She'd stopped crying now and was just staring at the floor. She hadn't struggled once and the enchanted silver chains had no effects on her other then the fact they kept her bound.

She looked up at me then. Right at me, and looked me directly in the eyes with her scarlet irises.

"I'm a monster."


	6. Chapter 6

**Leyha's POV**

They'd come for me. I'd heard them sneaking around my cabin. There were seven of them; six male and one female.

I ran and hid in the corner on my bed. I'd finally thought I'd be happy. I'd finally come to terms with my life and now they'd come back for me.

I looked at my window and saw a girl hiding there. They were going to raid my cabin. I started crying. I didn't want them to take me back to that dark room with Rofashil.

The door was knocked down and I balled up hoping they wouldn't hurt me.

Three males came in with chains and pointed silver sticks. The female came in after them and looked around the cabin before her eyes rested on me. She was beautiful and perfectly proportioned with her dark hair in a pony tail and exotic features. Her eyes made her look unkind though. I balled up a little more.

"Hathaway, is this the Strigoi?" asked one of the male's. He looked young with curly light black hair.

A tall male with longish hair walked in then. He looked at the girl with a caring worried look which she returned with one as equally caring. They cared deeply for one another.

"What's going on?" the male asked. He had a very noticeable Russian accent. "Is this even a Strigoi? She looks like a Human or Dhampir girl to me."

He walked up to me. He had a loving look about him. I don't believe he wanted to hurt me.

"Be careful Dimitri… it could be a trap…," the girl warned worryingly.

"Please, leave me alone!" I pleaded while I sobbed.

He crouched by the bed and examined me. I was still curled up weeping.

"Are you a Strigoi?" he asked me quietly. I knew he hadn't wanted me to become upset, only answer his question. I was so emotional about it. I just really wanted them all to leave.

"What are you talking about? What's a Strigoi? Ever since my Mother died all I've heard is crazy talk from strangers. Moroi… Dhampir… Strigoi…? What the hell are you all on about?"I screamed at them. "I just wanted to live alone here away from all of you and yet you find me. I don't want to be a Monster!"

I started to sob violently again and the tall male I now know is called Dimitri gave a questioning look to the female. She just shrugged confused.

"What's your name?" he asked soothingly. I don't think he wanted to hurt me. Maybe he could help me.

I couldn't help but stutter over my words before I could answer him. "Leyha…," I finally managed to say.

He paused for a second. Maybe he did want to help.

"Well Leyha… will you look at me please?" Dimitri asked.

I paused and took a deep breath. I knew how they'd react. My eyes, the bright scarlet colour they are, would make anyone flinch away in fear. I couldn't let them continue to think that I might be normal. They had to see.

I wiped away as much of the blood I could from my face and looked up at Dimitri. Everyone in the room flinched like I thought. The girl snapped into action.

"_CHAINS!_" she commanded at the men. She leaped at me and grabbed me by the neck, pulling me to the floor. The men bound my wrists and feet together so I couldn't move. She kicked me in the stomach and punched me in the face. I didn't move though, I only cried. I let her beat me up. I hated myself. At least she was doing what I wish I could do to myself.

They tied me to my chair and gathered around to gawk at me like a carnival freak. I'd stopped crying and was staring at the floor. I didn't want them to look at my eyes.

"What are you?" Dimitri asked shocked.

I looked up at the girl. The girl with the unkind eyes but obviously loves this man. Could she see how scared I was? How much I didn't understand what was going on?

"I'm a monster," I told her. She flinched. I looked down again

"What are we going to do with her?" asked a male in the corner. There were still two males outside keeping guard. There were six of us inside.

"We don't even know what she is," said the girl.

"Rose…she doesn't know what's going on either. She doesn't even know what a Strigoi is," Dimitri said.

"Well what do you want to do with her?" Rose questioned.

Dimitri looked at me. "Do you know what I am?" he asked.

I stared at him. I didn't know what to think. "You're Russian?"

He smiled a bit and shook his head. "No, I'm a Dhampir. We're all Dhampirs."

"What's a Dhampir?" I asked.

"Part Human, part Moroi."

This still wasn't making any sense. "And a Moroi is a…?"

"A mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic."

I had that. I could control the elements. I had a candle I made and every night I could light it without even needing a spark. I could make the water rise to meet me, even make it float. I could make grass grow and the land move. I could make the wind blow and cool me down, even make mini tornadoes when I was bored. I worked on these everyday and now I was really good.

"I must be a Moiri…," I said quietly and nervously. Everyone in the room just stared at me. Rose had humor in her eyes like she wanted to laugh. "I can control the elements… I make grass grow, candles light, water rise and even make the wind blow! I swear it!"

"That's impossible. You don't resemble a Moroi in the slightest. You have the body build like a human or Dhampir and your eyes are red!" Rose exclaimed in a humorous way. She was mocking me.

I stared past her at my candle on the windowsill. _Concentrate… concentrate…don't lose focus…_

The Dhampirs all looked to where I was staring and saw a flame combust from thin air and start to flicker.

"That's…," Rose started.

"…Impossible," Dimitri finished. They finished each other's sentences. How…relationship like.

"Please… I just want to be human again. What am I?" I asked.

"It's almost like she's a Strigoi… that never made it to becoming a full one. She looks like a Strigoi but she can command the elements," Dimitri summarized.

"What are we going to do with her?" asked one of the Dhampirs.

"We have to take her to Lissa," Rose said.

I was confused. The last time someone had said they'd take me to see someone I had ended up in a dark room and being experimented on. "Who is Lissa?"

They all stared at me like in shock at my lack of knowledge. "Our Queen," they all said.


	7. Chapter 7

"Do you think it can walk in sunlight?" said a Guardian. They'd given me the information about what a Strigoi was and about anything I would need to know about the different species. I was still confused about the whole thing but at least I knew a bit more. They refused to tell me too much. I was their prisoner now.

"Let's find out," said Guardian Rose Hathaway who was nicknamed Roza by her boyfriend Guardian Dimitri Belikov.

Rose pulled me up by the arm and pushed me to the door. I didn't struggle even though I knew I could escape if I wanted to at any time. I was much stronger then her, and I could run a lot faster. Something inside me though told me that I should go with her. So I kept quiet, and did what I was told.

Rose opened the door and the sun burned brightly in the sky. She pushed me through and the warmth of the sun greeting my face. I smiled a bit to see it. I closed my eyes and felt the nature around me. I felt the grass grow around me, and the wind blow on my face. I was going to miss this. They would kill me or they would cage me; I wasn't going to see the sun again.

"Come on," said Rose as she pushed me to walk.

We walked for about a mile in total silence. The Guardians carried their stakes in hand just daring for me to make a move. I just kept my eyes down and was thankful that I had remembered to wash my hair and clothes this morning so I didn't smell or look like I'd never seen a hairbrush or shampoo.

We eventually came to what looked like the front of a school. I paused for a second to examine it. The school was almost a European gothic style. It had churchlike architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings. There were wrought iron gates here and there, and, guarding the main entrance, were more Dhampirs. I was sort of hoping to see a Moroi for the first time.

Rose pushed me forward to the front gate and a wave of pain hit me. I collapsed to the pain in a coughing fit as the pain slowly made its way through my body. Rose and the other guardians came over to see me.

"What's wrong with her?" Rose demanded.

"Like we know anything about this girl!" shouted one of the Guardians at her.

The pain finally subsided after about five minutes and I could take deep breaths again. Rose helped me to my feet and I swayed a little before I could finally stand on my own. I was slowly feeling better. What had happened?

Dimitri was looking into the distance at something I could quite see yet as the pain had ruined my senses.

"What is it?" Rose asked him.

"I think it might have been the wards…," he said. "She has Strigoi traits. There was a chance it might have affected her. It seems she can pass over the wards but not without consequences."

"So every time she now crosses one of the school Wards she's going to have a pain fit?" Rose asked rhetorically, "Let's just take that as a good sign that she's not going to try and escape."

More Guardians came over to inspect the situation. I kept my eyes down as much as I could. They still gawked at me though. Rose didn't seem to care anymore. She'd been pushing me all the way here and now she pushed me into a small office to the left of the front gates.

Rose had ordered all the guardians to leave and to wake up Vasilisa Dragomir the Queen of Moroi and Dhampirs.

It was just me and Dimitri in the small office. I was seated on a swivel chair and I kept my eyes down, trying to sit as still as a stone. I didn't want to give them reason to attack me.

"What's all the commotion about?" said a deep male voice. I wanted to look up but I was scared the new person might react badly. I was going to take a stab at it and say this wasn't the Queen as the new person was obviously male…

Rose and Dimitri sighed in unison.

"Adrian… what on earth are you doing here? Go back to sleep," said Rose.

"And miss all the fun? No thanks, I think I'll stay here," said the new person named Adrian. I heard a chair scrape on the ground and him take a seat. I was glad to know my senses were back to normal.

"So who's this?" Adrian asked. "She doesn't look like a Strigoi, and, if she were, she wouldn't have been able to get past the wards."

"This is…a girl we found in a cabin," Dimitri answered.

I wanted to look up at the Adrian to see what he looked like. I could smell cigarettes and alcohol all over him. He sounded… sweet.

"Ok… so you find a human girl in a cabin and you chain her up in silver so you can…? What? Make her a new feeder?" Adrian asked sarcastically. "Do we capture our volunteers these days?"

"She's not a feeder, Adrian," Rose snapped. "She's… different."

"Different how?" Adrian asked. "Is she a Pisces instead of a Gemini? Can she hop on one leg and rub her stomach at the same time? You're not giving me much information here. You've dragged a human girl into a school of vampires."

I looked at him then. I looked right at him, into his emerald green eyes. He had messy yet stylish brown hair and a high cheek bone. He looked very tall too, maybe around 6'1" tall when standing. He was dress in old worn out jeans and a grey sweater.

He was a Moroi. I could sense it. I could _smell_ it. He smelled delicious. Not like Dhampirs. Not the same. He had a sarcastic smile on his face which slowly faded as he examined me. He hadn't flinched, but he could see I was a monster. I tried not to breathe in case I did sometime stupid like bite him. I was just glad I'd had rabbit blood this morning or I wouldn't have had control. Rabbits smelled nowhere near as nice as he did. I bared my teeth at him as a natural reaction and hissed. He jumped from his chair and took a few steps back. I felt ashamed. I couldn't believe I'd just done that. Rose came up to me and slapped me. I looked down again and I could feel my cheeks go red, not caused by her slap, but by my embarrassment.

"What the hell is it?" Adrian exclaimed.

"She's a Capricorn," Rose joked. "No, but seriously, we have no idea."

"You bring into the school a thing that looks like it wants a taste of a Moroi," Adrian said.

"Well we don't know anything about her," Rose retorted.

"Yes, even more reason to bring it into a school of young Moroi and Dhampirs. Great reasoning there Rose. You think of that yourself?"

I was tired of people treating me like this. It's not like I go around biting every person I see.

"Well I couldn't just leave it where it might kill even more people. At least this way we can keep track of it."

I couldn't handle them speaking about me like I was a _thing _and not a person. I knew I was a monster but it's not like I've acted like one.

I cleared my throat and spoke up. "I have a name you know…."

That got their attention. They all looked at me. Dimitri hadn't said much and he was casually lounging in the corner. He wasn't scared of me.

Adrian and Rose ignored me and went back to chatting on their own about what they would have done instead of bringing me here.

I heard light footsteps approach the office and I casted my eyes down again.

The door opened and in stepped a girl who I assumed must be Queen Vasilisa Dragomir.

"Lissa," Rose sighed, looking finally relieved that Lissa had arrived.

"What's going on Rose?" Lissa said in a very tired voice. "It's the middle of the afternoon."

"I know, I'm sorry," said Rose. "We found her in a cabin. Have a look for yourself."

I looked up at her. She looked like a runaway model. She was beautiful with long, platinum blond hair and jade green eyes. She was dressed in simple jeans and a tee-shirt with a jacket. She didn't look much older than me. Maybe eighteen or nineteen. She definitely didn't look like a Queen.

She didn't flinch or shy away from me. She did eve look surprised. She finally looked awake.

"Is she a Strigoi?" Lissa asked.

"We have no idea," Rose responded.

They all began to talk about me like I was here again. It was infuriating. I wasn't a rabid animal. I _could_ understand them and talk.

"ENOUGH!" I shouted. Everyone went silent. "I have a name! My name is Leyha. I grew up in California like any normal girl. I never knew my father and my mother was the only person I ever had growing up. I was like every teenager. I had boyfriends and pets and I went out dancing with my friends. I know the difference between Prada and Gucci and I have _feelings_! You think I like being the way I am? That I _want_ to be a monster? I didn't choose this, ok?"

This got their attention. They all looked at me. Lissa showed guilt on her face. She walked up to me and sat on a chair so our eyes were level.

"Tell me about it," Lissa said gently. "What happened to you?"

I explained the whole thing; about how I found my mother on the floor and about Aurore. Right up to how I got to the cabin.

"What have you been living on?" she asked amazed, after I finished my explanation.

"Rabbits…and vegetables I grow with my connection with the elements," I explained. "I need food and water like everyone else. It's just… I get this lust… this desire… and it's all I can think about. I couldn't even hold down the human blood. My stomach doesn't like it but for some reason I need to do it. So I've been drinking rabbit blood the last few months to at least keep it in check a little bit."

Adrian walked over so he was standing right behind Lissa. Damn they smelled good.

"I can smell the blood… and I want to taste it… it just consumes me…," I trailed off as I tried to not concentrate on the fact that both of them were standing near me. It was making it hard to keep control. "I have to have it… it controls me…."

I took a deep breath. They smelled so good. I wanted just a little taste; just a little one.

I couldn't help myself.


	8. Chapter 8

The chains started to break as my strength was pulling them apart. I had to have Lissa and Adrian; to bite them. They were _mine_.

The chains snapped with a loud screeching metallic _CRACK!_ I leaped from the chair and tackled Adrian to the ground. He struggled against me but I was too strong. I straddled him and had pinned him down with my body in a way that allowed my hands to stay free.

Rose and Dimitri charged at me and tried to pull me off but it was like moving a boulder, I couldn't be budged or moved in the slightest.

I turned my body so that I still had Adrian pinned, and I grabbed for Rose's ankle. I picked her up off the ground and threw her to one side of the room. Dimitri expected my next move but he wasn't fast enough. I grabbed him by his leg and tripped him before I threw him to the opposite side of the room that I had thrown Rose. Lissa was cowering in the corner by Rose's body trying to see if she was conscious. I turned my attention back to Adrian.

"Usually I'd love to have a sexy woman straddle me like this, but I think I'm going to have to pass today," Adrian said shakily. He was scared, I could see that.

I tilted his head to the side and sunk my teeth into his neck. He screamed out loud. It was painful for him. I had no endorphins in my saliva like a Moroi or Strigoi. His blood tasted delicious. I wanted more.

Rose had become conscious again and had run up to me. Using my hair, she pulled it backwards so my head was away from Adrian's neck. He was screaming in pain.

I threw my arm back, hitting Rose in the stomach, and sent her flying across the room again. I brought my attention back to Adrian.

He was looking at me. His emerald eyes were scared. They pleaded with me, begging me to stop. He had been crying too, his eyes were watery. I could see my reflection in them like a mirror. I could see my scarlet eyes were bright and almost glowing. My mouth was set in an animal snarl, baring my teeth to show my pointed canines. I wasn't Leyha. This wasn't me.

I threw myself off him and leaped to the back of the room under a desk. I curled up there, closed my eyes and prayed that whatever was coming in my future would be short and painless. I wanted it to be over. They'd probably kill me slowly though.

I hid under the desk, shivering, for maybe half an hour before I finally could hear someone standing in front of the desk. A sharp pain was briefly felt in my arm. They had given me a needle, I was sure. Would it kill me? Would I wake up? My body relaxed and my breathing depended. Everything went black.

**-xxxxxxxxxxx-**

I woke up somewhere cold. I shiver went through my body. I pulled the soft blanket around me tighter and sighed. It had been so long since I'd felt this comfortable. That's when I remembered everything.

I shot up straight; my eyes wide open. I remembered where I was and what I'd done.

I looked around me. I was in a jail cell. There was a bed, a table, a chair, a toilet and a water basin. Everything was bolted into the ground securely.

Rose and Dimitri were in my cell. Behind the bars were Lissa and a boy who was tall with black hair and crystal blue eyes. The boy had his arms wrapped possessively around Lissa's waist. I assumed they were a couple.

I rubbed my forehead. My head was buzzing; my senses were more acute than normal. It must have been because I drank Moroi blood instead of Rabbit.

Oh god, I drank someone's blood.

"Shit!" I exclaimed rubbing my forehead again. "Is he ok? I swear I didn't mean it. I don't—."

Rose cut me off. "–He's fine. Not like you should care." She was very pissed.

"Roza…," Dimitri warned disapprovingly.

"What?" she demanded. "She attacked him like a wild beast. She doesn't deserve to still be breathing."

I looked down. I was so ashamed. This lust I had… it was something I really needed to control. This guy Adrian hadn't even hurt me. Not physically anyway.

"I'm sorry… you don't know how much I regret it," I apologised. "I can't control it. Adrian and Vasilisa were there standing so close to me; it just became too overwhelming."

"Rose stop over reacting. It's not like she killed him. He's fine but he's just a little shaken up," Lissa defended. "Adrian is Adrian. He'll drink a bit and will fine in the morning."

I felt so bad. I turned my body and leaned again the cell wall. Wrapping my arms around my legs, I rested my head on my knees.

"What are you going to do with me?" I asked.

There was silence. It seemed no one had gotten this far.

"We're going to keep you here for a while," Lissa said. "It's not like we could kill you. You're different and we need to find out what the Strigoi did to you to make you like this."

Lissa's boyfriend and Rose didn't like this.

"Are you kidding me?" the boy raged. "What if she gets out and tries to kill you?"

"Christian, calm down!" said Lissa. "If she wanted to kill me I'd be dead by now. Not even Rose and Dimitri together could stop her."

It was true. I had enough strength that, if I wanted her dead, I could do it. But I didn't want her dead. Lissa was the one person who hadn't shown how scared of me she was on her face. She showed me mercy. She showed me hope.

"I want to learn more about you so I can help you Leyha. Rose said you had a connection with all the elements and you have no trouble walking in sunlight. Wards affect you though. You're strong and fast and your blood lust is as controlled as a newly made Strigoi. You need food and water, and, by the looks of it, Moroi blood gives you power like it would a Strigoi. Your saliva doesn't have endorphins so every person you bite endures agonizing pain. Enchanted silver doesn't hurt you and you understand what is morally right and wrong even if you can't always act it. You're eyes are scarlet red, even more red then a Strigoi. You're slightly pale but not chalky white. You look physically like a human girl. You're a human girl trapped in a body made of four different species."

Everyone didn't know what to say; including me. I just kept my face hidden between my knees and tried to make sense of the whole thing.

"I want to help you with your blood lust," Lissa said gently. "I want you to have as much of a normal life as you can and I believe you can do it. It's not going to be easy though. You're always going to find the need to bite but at least I can try to help you gain enough control that you can stop what you're doing before it's too late."

"Thank you… so much," I said. "You have no idea how much this means to me…."

Lissa then went on to explain how the next few months were going to work. I would be provided food and water and bagged human blood as I couldn't be trusted to feed from a feeder. Twice a week Lissa or someone else will come to my cell and work with me on self control. I was willing to accept. The only catch is that I had to stay in my cell and the only time I would be allowed out is for going to shower every night. I would be accompanied by five guardians for this. I wasn't allowed to socialize with anyone in the school (not like I wanted to anyway) and I had to promise not to eat anyone like the school was an all-you-can-eat Sizzler salad bar (Rose was the one who made me swear that).

I agreed to everything they said. As if I'd want to disagree. Any chance of controlling myself was something I wanted to try… even if it meant spending my life as a prisoner for as long as I live; however long that was.

They all left me alone in my cell after they'd given me the ground rules on living in this cell. They left me with a tuna sandwich, a bottle of water and a small hand towel so I could wash my face in the water basin by the toilet.

I cleaned up and ate my food. For a jail the food wasn't too bad. I had nothing to do. I realised just how boring these next months were going to be.

**-xxxxxxxxx-**

I was sitting in the cell the day it happened. I was working on my elemental connection, making a small flame combust from my finger. I found that I could make it flicker and make it up to 30cm long. I was getting good.

I sung to myself these days. That's what I did when I was alone. Even when I was human I use to love to sing. I wrote my own music and played the guitar. No one ever knew though. I had to sell my guitar so we had extra money when we moved house.

I sang the song my mother had taught me over and over:

_When time stops, _

_Love prevails,_

_When love stops,_

_Time will fail._

_You can love,_

_You can leave,_

_You can act _

_All so naïve._

_I will love you_

_Till the end,_

_For you I would_

_Make all time bend._

My mum would sing it me when I would come home from school crying every father's day. It was her way of saying we didn't need him and we were fine without him. She had a beautiful voice. She sounded like an angel to me. Neighbours and friends would beg her to sing to them. I thought about how I'd never hear her sing again…

A sound to my left pricked my ears. I lifted my head curiously as the sound of light footsteps trailed towards my cell. I assumed it was a guard coming to check on me.

The footsteps stopped in front of my cell and I looked up shocked.

There, standing in front of my cell, was Adrian.

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><p><strong>AN: THANK YOU TO ALL MY READERS! PLEASE REVIEW AND GIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK OF IT AND WHAT YOU THINK SHOULD HAPPEN! CHECK IN OFTEN FOR MORE UPDATES! :) xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey there…," Adrian started.

Adrian had come to my cell. He stood awkwardly with his hair slightly messier then I remembered it, and he even had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. His emerald eyes showed he was nervous. Did I do this to him? Why was he even here?

"I'm so sorry…," I started. He waved it off with a shrug and sat down on the ground with his back leaning against the bars of the cell across from me.

"It's fine," he said.

He didn't look like it was fine.

"Are you getting enough sleep?" I asked.

This caught him off guard. He fumbled for a bit.

"Enough to function but also enough to know I have no conscious decision of being here," he joked.

I didn't laugh.

"Is it because of me? What I…did?"

He looked down nervously and ran a hand through his hair.

"You didn't know what you were doing," he said. "Lissa's told me all about you. She says you're as normal as anyone else… you just find people a yummy treat to eat."

"How is it any different to you?" I challenged. "You feed from humans and you have a moral understanding of right and wrong. I feed from everything and I have a moral understanding of right and wrong. Just because I'm higher in the food chain, doesn't make me all that much different to you."

"It's different."

"It's not," I argued.

"We don't kill them," he stated.

"You're still breathing," I pointed out.

"The people we feed from volunteer," he noted.

"No, they volunteer because you're endorphins make them want to," I shot back.

He paused in thought. I'd clearly caught him off guard. He didn't know what to say.

"Adrian… why are you here?" I asked slowly. It baffled me why he'd even come.

"I… had to see you," he whispered nervously. I could hear him whisper as loudly as a person talking due to my heightened senses anyway.

"Why?" I asked.

"I-I don't know," he stuttered. "Curiosity?"

We sat in silence for a while. I could assume no one knew he was here. Visitors other then the Guards and Vasilisa were not allowed.

"So…," he began, "I hear you're a Capricorn…."

I laughed before I abruptly stopped myself. Laughing felt… weird. I hadn't laughed in a very long time…

"I'm actually a Sagittarius," I joked nervously.

"Well according to my horoscope, that I checked this morning in the paper," he said, "the best company for me to be with today is a Sagittarius. I'm a Libra." He winked.

I felt my cheeks go a bit red.

"What else did it say?" I asked curiously.

"It said in my relationship section that I'm either both a romantic and sentimental type, or I'm a shallow flirtatious jerk type."

I laughed again and even smiled a bit. This felt so weird.

"A horoscope said all that?" I asked.

"I never really liked horoscopes much anyway…," he muttered.

"So are you romantic and sentimental or are you shallow and flirtatious?" I asked curiously.

"Why don't you figure that out on your own and get back to me," he said. He stood up and my smile faltered. He had to go.

"Why you looking so sad, Little Leyha?" he asked. "I'll be back tomorrow." He winked walked off with a smile on his face.

Things were finally looking up.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: THANK YOU FOR READING! SOME OF YOU HAVE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ON THE STORY AND ALL I CAN SAY IS: JUST WAIT AND SEE ;) PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! xoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

I woke up late the next day which was technically early since everyone ran on Moroi time. As stupid as it sounded, I couldn't wait to have my visitor come see me today like he said he would. I didn't want to get my hopes up though. He could have just said it as an excuse to leave. Either way, I let myself hope, even just a little bit, that Adrian would come to see me today.

About midnight the guards came to my cell to give me my daily bag of blood, food and water. They also gave me fresh clothes. I got changed into them quickly and gave them my unwashed clothes (I was given a white bra, white shirt, underwear and jeans everyday). I thanked them and they refused to acknowledge me like usual. I just smiled at them today though to show it didn't bother me. They stared back like I'd just gotten a whole lot weirder. _Oh well,_ I thought.

It wasn't too long afterwards that the soft footsteps down the hall came to my attention. I looked up expectantly and saw Adrian standing in front of my cell. I smiled.

"I told you I'd be back," he said, taking a seat in the same spot as yesterday where his back was against the bars of the cell across from me.

"Oh, and, before I forget," he said as he rummaged through his pockets and took out something small wrapped in a deep blue coloured handkerchief. He threw it at me between the bars. I caught it midair with fast reflexes. "I got you something. I recommend not telling the guards or they'll confiscate it though," he warned jokingly.

I unraveled the handkerchief and inside was a block of chocolate. My mouth watered. How long had it been since I'd tasted chocolate? I stared at it greedily.

"I figured it might have been a while since you'd had some," he explained. "I hear it makes you feel better when you're in tough situations."

I put it in my mouth lightning fast and let the heavenly block of goodness melt on my tongue. I moaned in pleasure.

"Thank you… so much," I said sincerely. I looked at him and hoped that I my face showed how grateful I was for what he'd sacrificed to give me. If the guards knew he was even here he would get in trouble. If they knew he'd given me chocolate then he'd be in for a lot worse. I was the prisoner after all.

"It's nothing; really," he said waving off the thanks.

I looked at the handkerchief and couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He seemed stressed that I was suddenly sad and he sat up.

"This was the colour of my eyes…." I stared at it while one a blood tear drop fell onto it, staining the blue silk. I wiped away the blood trail it left on my face and looked back at Adrian.

He looked distraught. "I'm sorry Leyha… I didn't mean to—."

"–It's fine, Adrian," I cut him off. I gave him a smile and he relaxed a little. I knew he could see the smile wasn't all that real.

Footsteps from down the fall spiked my attention.

"Adrian, someone is coming. You better get out of here before they find you," I said.

"But I don't want to go," he protested.

"You don't have a choice," I argued. "Adrian if they find you here then you'll get in trouble. I'll be here tomorrow. It's not like I'm going anywhere." I smiled reassuringly at him for.

He stood up and looked like he wanted to say something else but held his tongue. He walked away.

"Thank you…," I whispered to where he was standing before. I was alone now in my cell and the footsteps of someone were becoming louder as they walked up the hall.

I quickly stuffed the handkerchief in my pocket and made myself look casual on my bed.

A guard stood in front of my cell. He was here making sure I was on my best behavior and ready for my session with Lissa. We'd been working on my lust control. I'd forgotten that I had a session with her today.

Lissa and I worked for ages. She'd bring blood with her and I had to be able to resist biting it for as long as I could. My record was seven minutes. When I had first tried it I had the bag of blood in my mouth before she'd so much as taken it out of her bag. I was getting better. I knew when I was about to bite it because my eyes would flare bright red and appear almost glowing.

When she finally left it was very late (for Moroi time). I was lying on my bed playing with the handkerchief. I smiled at the thought I finally had a friend in this place. I hadn't had a friend in a long time… not since I lived in California. That seemed almost imaginary now. The life of that teenage girl whose biggest worry was weather she'd studied enough for her exams or what shoes to wear with a dress for school every morning seemed so impossibly unfamiliar. I could never be that girl again. Even if Lissa could help me control my lust I would never really be accepted by anyone. Strigoi wouldn't want me because I'm too humane… Moroi wouldn't want me because I'm too Strigoi. I was stuck in an endless notion of just doing what they say to keep them happy. I knew though, when the time came, I would have to leave this place and go back to the woods to live alone where I belong.

I put the handkerchief under my pillow and I fell asleep.

I wish I hadn't.


	11. Chapter 11

I had a nightmare that night. Images, flashes, of a dark room repeated over and over again. I could feel myself restless in my bed as I tossed and turned as each new image haunted me.

One image was me tied up as Rofashil stood over me with a needle of dark green liquid. I turned away from him and screamed at him to stop. He laughed and told me to hold still.

The next image was me in a dark dirty cell. My hair clung to my face due to sweat. I had loss of breath and even the slightest oxygen seemed limited. I was curled up and I was shaking. I thought I saw an image of a girl nearby but, before I could look further, the next image threw itself at me.

I was tied up again, this time to a table. My arms and legs were bound to the table firmly and a machine with at least ten needles hung above me. It suspended by a pole on wheels. Each needle had a different colour. Black…green…red…yellow…violet…pink… it was a rainbow of torture. A buzzing sound came to my right side where the pole was and the next thing I knew the needles were coming towards my face. I screamed and shut my eyes closed.

When I opened my eyes again the image had changed again. This time I was in an obstacle course. It was night time and the silhouette of someone stood nearby while I ran through the different obstacles. There was no emotion now; just a drive to push myself further and further to my limit. I ran through it easily dodging the different threats. The silhouette screamed for me to go faster and, as I did so, a stake went through my shoulder. It was from one of the obstacles. I didn't scream though. I couldn't feel any pain. I stared down at it in curiosity before I blacked out.

The next image was me tied up again to the chair. Rofashil stood over me.

"You might have escaped me once SSS02, but it's not going to happen again," he said in his British accent. "You think you're safe behind Moroi wards? We know where you are. You can't hide."

A shiver went up my spine. Something told me this wasn't a dream and he was actually talking to me.

"We will find you, I can promise you that. Come to us or we'll come for the minute you leave those wards."

I looked at him and stared him right in the eye.

"I will kill you." I stated it like I was commenting on the weather.

He laughed and stabbed another needle into my arm.

I screamed and woke up in my bed. I was sitting up panting and sweaty everywhere.

Three guards were outside my cell.

"I'm fine," I said not waiting for them to ask me.

They look doubtful but I didn't want to talk to anyone now. I fell back down flat onto my bed and went into a peaceful dreamless sleep.

**-xxxxxxxx-**

I woke again in the afternoon (Moroi morning) tired. It was almost dark and I sat on my bed thinking about last night's dream. Lissa had been told about me screaming in the cell last night. She'd come in for questions.

I told her everything I knew starting from the start of the dream with the images and flashes, to the part where Rofashil had told me personally that he was coming for me. She nodded and took it all in without saying much at all. I tried to not take her quietness the wrong way.

After I finished we sat in silence for a few minutes.

She finally spoke up. "I'm going to take you to the Royal Court in Pennsylvania. You'll be safer there. I don't know how long it will take to convince the Royals to let you in though. Maybe a month or so but it could be a lot longer. The Royals are scared of the unknown."

I was hesitant but I trusted Lissa. I trusted her enough that I agreed to let her make the phone calls and arrangements.

**-xxxxxxxx-**

At least a month passed. Lissa gave me updates every week on the arrangement for me leaving. It wasn't going well. She said there was still hope but the Royals still needed more convincing.

Everyday Adrian would come visit me. He told me all about himself. He explained about the Moroi Royals and the elements. He said spirit was the element he and Lissa specialized in. I was fascinated by it and wondered if I could control spirit too like I could the other elements. Spirit was apparently rare though and to be able to control it came with major side effects. It's why he smoked and drank alcohol so much. I didn't mind though.

He would sit in the same spot every day and I would sit on my bed. It's a barrier I kept between us for his safety.

I told him about my life before I became a monster. How I use to go out to movies and have fun. He asked me about what it was like now. I told him everything about me and what it was like every morning I woke up in this body.

Every day we would talk for hours until he had to leave. I wondered if he could walk my dreams like he told me he could. I never asked him to though as it didn't seem likely. He said my aurora was a pitch black colour. I tried to not let that get me down.

Everything was going great until the day Lissa came to tell me that I'd been allowed to transfer to the Royal Court. I was going to leave in two week. Now I had to do something I'd been dreading for weeks.

I had to tell Adrian.


	12. Chapter 12

Adrian came to my cell and sat down in his usual spot. He smiled at me.

"Hey, Little Leyha," he said.

I didn't return his smile. I was finding it hard to even look at him due to my guilt.

"What's wrong?" he asked, finally catching on to the atmosphere of my mood.

"I got the transfer," I said. "I'm moving to the Moroi court."

He was silent for a while before he finally spoke up. "I'll come with you."

"Adrian…," I said disapprovingly. "You don't understand."

"Then make me understand, Leyha, because I'm so confused."

I was silent. How could I explain to him that he couldn't come with me because of the way he'd be treated because of me? Not to mention that I could kill him if I got too close.

"I'm dangerous Adrian. I can kill you before you even take your next breath," I warned. "You think these bars can hold me? That your Guardians can protect you? You'll be treated differently because of me."

He sat in silence, avoiding my gaze.

"I have to go. I want to be here but I want to learn to control whatever is wrong with me," I said. "I'm not safe here. I'm not safe anywhere. I want to go back to my Cabin where I was alone. The purpose of staying in the cell is not for me, it's for everyone else. It makes you all feel safer. I put up with it; all of it. The no socialization, the limited food and water, even the way I get treated by Guardians as they pushed and shoved me to the showers. I didn't move, I didn't budge, and I let them do what they wanted." I walked up to the bars and crouched on the floor so we were eye level. I put my hands on the bars and I looked him straight in the eye. This was the closest I'd ever been to him since I'd bitten him. His posture straightened but he didn't get up. "I could kill you, Adrian. Why take the risk? I almost did it once; you think I won't do it again?"

"No… you won't," Adrian said hesitantly.

I was in shock. Was this boy really so naïve? I stared at him like he was insane.

"Leyha… I saw how you stopped yourself from killing me that day. You could have done it but you didn't. You have self control and we both know It." he stood up and walked right up to the bars and put his hands on them. I stood up to. He towered over me in height so he had to look down on me. Damn, he smelled amazing. "You don't want to hurt me, Leyha. I can see it in your eyes."

That did it. I snapped. My hands opened the bars as easily as if I were opening curtains. Adrian hooked his finger in the belt strap of my jeans and pulled me towards him, closing the barrier we had kept between ourselves for over a two month. He put one hand on my waist and the other in my long brown hair. His mouth was on mine then. His lips were soft but they were rough as they kissed me hungrily. I responded by tangling both my hands in his hair and pushing him lower so I could kiss him back fiercely.

Yes I had lust. But now my lust wasn't about blood. It was about something I'd far forgotten existed. I still held back slightly in case I lost too much control that I would do something I'd regret. This was just like blood lust training with Lissa. I had to resist losing control.

Adrian picked me up off the ground and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He walked into my cell and pushed me up against the wall. I moaned in response.

I was losing it. I wouldn't be able to resist much longer. I turned my head away breaking the kiss, trying to stop. He responded by kissing my neck up and down.

"Adrian. Please. Stop," I panted.

He grunted in response and continued to kiss me everywhere and anywhere he could. It was like he couldn't hear me or he was hearing what he wanted to hear.

"Adrian. Enough. I can't hold back much longer," I warned.

"Then don't hold back," he growled against my neck. He took charge of my lips again, kissing me roughly. Gosh, it felt so good.

My lust was slowly increasingly becoming blood lust. I was close to biting him and then I don't know when I'd be able to stop.

The warning sign went off. I saw the red glow from my eyes reflected on his cheek. I was going to bite him any minute.

"Adrian. Look at my eyes. NOW!" I screamed at him. I pushed him off with enough force for him to stumble backwards a few steps. He looked at me and paled.

I clenched my jaw and my canines began to ache. I could feel myself increasingly become a hunter. I could smell him. He smelled so good. Better than anything.

"Run!" I yelled at him. He didn't budge. It was like he was frozen in place.

"ADRIAN, I SAID RUN!" I screamed at him.

His legs finally responded and he ran.


	13. Chapter 13

I fell to my knees trying to overcome my lust. Adrian had run away but the hunter inside me was yelling at me to chase him. I was a hunter. He was my pray.

I ran to the cell bars and closed them shut. They wouldn't hold me but I had to make sure the guards didn't think I'd tried to escape. I took deep breathes and threw myself onto my bed. My head screamed at me to remember my training. _Remember it. Remember it. Remember it._

It was like my body was having a spasm. I was fighting myself; fighting my nature.

_Remember it. Remember it. Remember it. Remember it. _

I fell off the bed and continued to spasm. Everything was blurring. I couldn't get a hold on reality. My hands clawed at the ground before they pushed me into a sitting position with my back against my bed. The hunter won out momentarily and I threw myself at the bars, ready to open them and follow the trail of Adrian's scent. I held the bars so tightly that my hand print indented on the actual bars.

_Remember it. Remember it._

I threw myself off the bar and back onto my bed. I tossed and turn trying to win the mental battle with myself.

And then it stopped.

I took deep breathes. I'd won. I laid still on my bed with beads of sweat running down my face and body. This was the first time I'd fully controlled my nature. I'd done it.

I heard the guards running down the hall. I hope Adrian hadn't run into them in his sprint out.

_Adrian. _My heart ached. I'd almost killed him—again.

"What's going on?" shouts a guard outside my cell. Another guard was examining the hand indents I'd made into the metal bars.

"Nothing happened. I had a bad dream again," I lied smoothly. The guard didn't even question me to see if I was lying and accepted it. I suppose my last encounter with bad dreams had been enough to convince guards that this was the norm for me.

They shrugged it off and left me to lay on my bed with my thoughts swarming my mind over what I'd done. I needed to get out of here. I needed a distraction.

_No,_ I thought. I couldn't leave here without causing an alarm of the whole academy. I would have to stay here until Lissa could get the arrangement of my transport done.

I closed my eyes and the memory of Adrian's lips haunted me. Did this mean I liked him? That he liked me? I was so confused. I didn't think he liked me anymore since I nearly ate him…again. Did I like him though?

I stared at my hands for no apparent reason. I just needed something to look at. _Adrian Ivashkov, Moroi Royalty, _kissed _me. _Not just that but he'd pushed me up against a wall and started to full on make out with me. _You made out with back,_ my head reminded me. Yes… I had. I was a monster made up of four different species with a powerful experimental Strigoi after me. And yet…I felt that my worst fear wasn't that. It was me as a person. I was afraid of getting close to someone because I didn't want to hurt them. I had good reason to think that though since I almost ate him ten minutes ago when he'd kissed me.

I sighed. What was I going to do?

_Be patient,_ my inner voice told me. I didn't know I had an inner voice since it'd never bothered to tell me anything before. Maybe now that I was at my lowest point in life I am finally quiet enough to hear it.

I laughed. Since when did I become all wise?

I turned on my side and rested my head on my pillow. I could still smell Adrian's scent since the handkerchief he'd given me was under my pillow, hidden from the guards. My heart ached a bit and I closed my eyes. Maybe this whole thing is a dream and I'll wake up in my bed with mum cooking pancakes and telling me about how I can't date a boy named Jeremy because his life ambition isn't to be a lawyer or doctor.

A half sob, half laugh escaped my lips.

_If only,_ I thought, and I fell into a deep sleep.

**-xxxxxxxxx-**

I waited everyday to see if Adrian would come back to visit me, but he never did. Two weeks past and every day I grew more certain that I wasn't going to see him again.

Lissa came to take me to a helicopter that would fly to the airport. From the airport we'd take a plane to Pennsylvania airport where we'd hop off to take a helicopter to get to the Royal Court.

It was going to be risky. We had to go during the day but that meant Lissa and Christian were going to be weak. Lissa said Strigoi couldn't get us during the day. I still felt uneasy though. Rofashil's warning rang through my head as clearly as if he were standing next to me. _"We will find you, I can promise you that. Come to us or we'll come for you the minute you leave those wards."_

Rose, Dimitri, and a few other Guardians came too. I craned my neck for Adrian but couldn't find him in the group of Moroi and Guardians getting into the helicopter.

I took my seat at the back near a window and stared at the academy, almost willing Adrian to step out of a door and come with me. I knew he wouldn't though.

We barely all fitted into the helicopter, but soon enough everyone was on and we were waiting for the pilot to arrive.

I closed my eyes and imagined I was in the grassy field outside my cabin. It wasn't the old rotting cabin anymore; it was _my_ cabin. It was my home. I missed it.

A Guardian, I think from memory was called Liam, sat next to me. He seemed familiar but I couldn't remember where from. I just remembered the other Guardians calling him Liam as they got onto the helicopter. He was quite cute and he smiled at me. He had a cute smile too. He was tall and had dark brown, almost black, hair. It was gown out a bit to make it look shaggy as it hung around his ears. He sort of reminded me of Sam Winchester from the TV show _Supernatural._ I laughed and smiled back before realizing I was showing my canines. I stopped smiling and looked away awkwardly.

"Hi," he said nervously. I couldn't tell if he was nervous over meeting me or nervous over the fact that I could eat him. I found Dhampirs didn't really have a strong enough sent to make me lust for their blood. Their company was easier to handle.

"Hi," I said back just as nervous. I looked out the window and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear.

We sat in silence for a little bit. It seemed neither of us knew what to say. The pilot eventually arrived and we were about five minutes from take off.

"I'm Liam Arsov…," he started after a little while. He extended his hand across his body for me to shake it.

I looked over at him and smiled nervously. "I know," I said and laughed a little short laugh. "I'm Leyha." I took his hand and shook it. He had a strong grip. I suppose that came with Dhampir strength. Nothing compared to mine though.

He laughed a little too. "I know," he replied. He let my hand go.

"I use to Guard your cell on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays," he said.

Oh. So that was how I knew him. Was he one of the guards who had to wait to collect my dirty old clothes while I got changed? I blushed and felt immediately embarrassed at the thought he might of seen me naked.

I cleared my throat and hoped he didn't notice my blush. "I thought I recognized you."

"Everyone talks about you, did you know?" he said. His eyes seemed animated in what he was saying like I was a superstar or something. "'The Girl of Four' they say. Is it true? Are you really four different species?"

I didn't really want to talk about it but, before I could answer, a searing pain hit me and I fell forward in my chair. I started to cough and whimper in pain. What was going on?

_The wards_, I thought. Liam freaked out a bit at my sudden pain but Rose called out to him over her shoulder that it was the wards. He stood up and lifted me like I was a child onto the seat so my legs were spread across where he was sitting before. He lifted me as if I weighed nothing. It had been so long since someone could so that. I knew I was small but since I'd gotten Strigoi strength it never occurred to me I was still light and tiny in physique. It was nice to feel tiny for a little while. Well it felt nice after I had time to think about it once the searing pain in my body left. _Damn wards._

Liam and I spent the whole helicopter ride talking about things that didn't seem very important. It was nice to have a distraction from everything and talking to him was easy.

The helicopter shuddered and I looked out the window. I could see the airport underneath us with a plane waiting and ready. I looked over at Liam and smiled.

Everyone grabbed their bags and got ready to stand up as the helicopter came to a standstill on the ground. It was nice to be on land again. On land I could run for miles, in the air I could fall to my death—maybe? Who knows how I could be killed.

Liam, being a perfect gentleman, stood up first and offered his hand for me to grab onto so he could help me up. I took it even though I knew I didn't need it.

The walk from the helicopter to the plane was about 500m away. The guardians went off first, including Liam, Dimitri and Rose, to scan for any sign of a Strigoi attack. Even though it would be impossible for a Strigoi to be about in daylight, other threats like humans under compulsion to attack might be around.

The Guardians made a protective circle around the helicopter and I followed after them. I was more powerful than them but I also had the Strigoi after _me _not them. Lissa and Christian were still in the helicopter. They were more important than any of us.

I walked over to Liam and closed my eyes. I scanned the area trying to hear anything before I opened my eyes to try and see anyone.

I saw teenagers about my age to the left of me. What were they doing on an airplane landing strip? Where they insane?

They started to walk towards us as soon as one of them caught my eye. Could they be under compulsion?

"Look," I say pointing towards the teenagers. "They're coming this way."

Liam laughed a little. "I doubt the big mean Strigoi compelled teenagers to do his bidding."

I stared at them. Something wasn't right. I could sense them. Something was familiar about them.

There was seven teenagers; four male, three female. I closed my eyes again to try and catch a scent. They smelled… odd. They didn't smell like humans.

"Liam… they're not human," I said nudging his arm.

Liam looked at me confused before examining the teenagers. Could he see anything different?

"Everyone!" I shout at the Guardians. "Come take a look at this."They give me a shocked look as to say _'who the hell put you in charge, monster?'_

I didn't care so long as they came over—which they did.

The teenagers were closer now. They looked normal to me but they smelled differently. Is that how humans smell under compulsion?

They stopped about 20m away from us. I could see them perfectly now. They definitely weren't human. They weren't Strigoi, Dhampir or Moroi either. They had scarlet red eyes, slightly pale skin and a cruel smile to show canines. They were what I was.

The closest male looked at me, scanning my body making me feel almost exposed. He winked at me and said the four words I'd never of thought to hear come from his mouth.

"Why, hello there, Sister."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE REVIEWWWWWWWW! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK LOVE/HATE ETC. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND WHAT YOU THINK SHOULD HAPPEN! DON'T BE AFRAID TO PM ME IF YOU WANT. I DON'T BITE HAHAHA ;D**

**BTW I THOUGHT I'D JUST ADD (SINCE I SAW SOME FF DO IT) THAT I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS EXCEPT FOR LEYHA AND LIAM WHO ARE OF MY OWN IMAGINATION. ALL RIGHTS GO TO RICHELLE MEAD THE AUTHOR OF VAMPIRE ACADEMY :)**

**THANKS FOR READING! xoxo**


	14. Chapter 14

I stood frozen in place. I knew he was familiar. Did I really have a brother? He was taller than me and very well built. His blonde hair was long but not as long as Liam's and it hung loosely around his head. He had a cocky smile plastered on his face. He was very handsome with a high defined cheek bone and well chiselled features. He could have been a model if it weren't for the scarlet red eyes and pale skin.

"Y-you're my brother?" I stuttered.

The group of teenagers—monsters—things— laughed in unison.

"Not by blood," he said. "We're all you're brothers and sisters by what we are." He gestured to the group.

I suppose that was a relief in some way or form. At least there wasn't going to be any awkward conversations about what my mother or father had been up to. He looked older than me and _very_ familiar. I scanned the group and saw a girl with long blonde hair. She looked small, maybe smaller than me. She couldn't have been older than 14. Looking at her face triggered a memory from my dream. She was the face I saw while I was in the cold cell. Who was she?

_Tilly,_ my memory whispered to me. Her name was Tilly and she was 13 and a half years old from Washington D.C. We'd been friends during the experimenting. I would keep her company at night in the cells because she was afraid of the dark. What changed?

"Besides," the boy started again drawing back my attention, "if we had of been brother and sister by blood, it would have made what we did during the day while Rofashil was sleeping very, very wrong…." The group laughed and one of the boys cheered and patted him on the back.

I felt my cheeks burn bright red in humiliation. I couldn't even remember who he was let alone what we apparently did. Was I still even a virgin?

I looked into his cold eyes for some familiarity but all I could see were the eyes of a murderer looking back. Was this what I should be acting like? Did I belong with them in their evil society? Even Tilly, the little girl who wanted to go home, shared the same eyes that the boy shared.

"What's your name?" I asked. Maybe his name would jog a memory.

"Come now babe," he said mockingly, "you've forgotten it already? You screamed it in pleasure enough times while we were back at the sanctuary. Almost woke Rofashil up one time because we were so loud. Don't you remember? We did it enough times." He gave me that cocky grin again.

I couldn't tell if he was lying but I was getting really mad. He was humiliating me and the cheering from the group around him in encouragement was really pissing me off. I wanted to hit something.

"Maybe it wasn't good enough to be worth remembering," I snapped back. "It was probably too small that I didn't even feel anything to remember."

His smile faltered and he seemed pissed off now. Something in his eyes showed hurt but it was gone in a flash replaced by his cocky smile and confidence again.

_He used to have soft brown eyes,_ my memory told me. An image of them came to mind. They were scared and in the dark. Who _was _he?

A girl spoke up then. She had golden blonde hair and thick dark eyelashes. She wrapped her arms possessively around the boy's arm. Whatever had happened between the boy and I was obviously nothing that concerned her as she looked like she was dating him. I didn't think monsters felt emotion.

"SSS02," she called me. I recognised the name from when Rofashil had called me it in the dream. I still didn't know what it meant. "AKA Leyha." Her smile was cruel and I could feel her shoot me daggers with her eyes.

_Melanie,_ my memory whispered to me. She was in the cells too. She was jealous of me for something I can't remember. She was always scared of the possibility of freedom. She wanted to become a monster and she revelled in the power it gave her.

"Melanie," I called back flatly.

Her face went slack in shock that I could remember her name but she quickly regained her composure.

"Rofashil sent us to take you back to the sanctuary," she said. Her lips were pursed. I don't think she wanted me to come back.

"Tell Rofashil that I'm honoured he thinks me worthy enough to come back but I'm going to have to pass." I smiled at her making her eyes flare up with anger. She really didn't like me.

I was glad to hear that the guardians behind me had gotten Lissa and Christian to the plane while I had distracted the others. The engine of the plane roared up behind me.

"Well if you won't come with us willingly, then we'll make you," said the male that had earlier cheered the boy on and clapped him on the shoulder. He was the tallest there with dark skin and rounded features. He still somehow managed to look pale though.

Melanie crouched as if to leap and tackle me.

_You can take her easily, _my memory told me. _You've done it before._ A memory of a training room came to me. Melanie and I were fighting as was instructed by Rofashil. Her moves were swift and fast but she doesn't look where she's going so I was able to trip her a few times. She protected her face more than anything so I got a few low blows in. It was dirty fighting. It was how Rofashil had taught us.

Melanie sprang for me and I ran backwards a few steps back so she couldn't land on me. Her face was in an animalistic snarl.

"Are you a coward now?" she growled at me. "The legendary fighter Leyha is finally a nothing?"

She ran fast towards me and I side stepped her, making sure to put my foot out to trip her. She dodged it and leaped to the right of me.

"I've learnt from last time," she said between clenched jaws.

She ran forward and swung her fist into my face. My head shot back and I almost lost my balance before I looked up again. She was smiling. I really hated that smile.

I punched her in the nose so fast she didn't even see it coming. She flew back 5metres.

Yes… I was stronger than her. I always had been.

The ache in my fist from hitting her was all too familiar. It felt good.

She got up and glared at me. This chick had some major anger problems. She ran at me as fast as she could but I was still faster. I side stepped her and stuck my foot out again to trip her. This time she wasn't fast enough and tripped. Her foot caught and she tumbled face first into the concrete. The moves came naturally to me.

I straddled her on the ground and punched her in the back of her head. It wouldn't kill her but at least it'd keep her down for a bit.

I got off her and looked at the group. The plane was calling at me to run to them and I figured now was my chance.

I ran for the plane. The others ran after me but they were too far away and would never reach me in time.

Liam was at the stair case and he grabbed my hand to help me in. Before I made it to the top step though, a voice called out to me. It was the boy.

"Running away again?" he asked. "You can't pretend to be something you're not forever. Wake up and look in the mirror. You'll be back to find us, I promise you that. You're one of us, Li-Li." A strangled gasp escaped my lips.

_Li-Li. _Yes. I knew that nickname. I'd only ever been called it by one person.

_Brandon,_ my mind reminded me. I couldn't remember who he was but his name was clear to me now.

"Brady…." My nickname for him escaped my lips by accident.

Brandon's eyes flared red as I said his name. He still wanted to capture me, that much was clear, but at least now _he_ had a name.

I turned my back on him and got into the plane. Liam closed the door behind me and the plane started to move fast.

"Are you ok?" Liam asked me, placing a hand on my shoulder to get my attention.

I flinched at his touch as my mind had been wondering. I was hardly aware of what was going on or what had just happened.

"I'm fine," I lied. "Just need some time to think."

Lissa saw me walk down the aisle towards the back and looked like she wanted to stop me to ask questions. I just shook my head. I couldn't handle anything right now, I just needed some rest.

I took a seat towards the back and closed my eyes.

I didn't even notice that Adrian had been on the plane the whole time.

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><p><strong>AN: HOPED YOU LIKED IT! AS ALWAYS: PLEASE REVIEW :) xoxo**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: OK NOT MY BEST CHAPTER I DONT THINK... BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE IT ANYWAY :) PLEASE REVIEW LOVE/HATE AND SUGESTIONS! xoxo**

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><p>I'd let my mind drift and eventually I fell asleep. The plane trip was going to be long so I didn't see the problem in getting in a few 'Z's before landing.<p>

In my dream I was in a cell. I was alone but I could see a figure to my left in the cell next to mine. My cell was dark with concrete dirty flooring. In the back left corner was a mess of hay that was big enough for a person to sleep on. The back right corner had a run down, dirty looking toilet. Water was dripping from a rusted pipe on the roof on the floor about a meter away from me. I was scared. This was all new to me and I ached everywhere from a needle hole in my arm. Rofashil hadn't been gentle when he'd injected me.

A sob escaped my lips and a tear fell down my cheek. I put a finger to examine it. It was salty tasting water. I was still human in this dream.

"No point crying," said a deep male voice from the cell across from me. I flinched at the sound and squinted my eyes in the dark to try and see who it was, but I found it was too dark. I could only see his silhouette.

"Who are you?" I called back. I wasn't in control of the dream and the question came from my lips involuntary.

"Apparently my name is 'Test Subject SSS01'," the male said mockingly. "But you can call me Brandon."

_Brandon!_ My dream was showing me a memory of when I first came to the cells. No wonder I couldn't control my dream. It had already happened.

I crawled to the bars that separated the two cells together. I was too weak to walk yet so crawling was the best I could do. I could see him better now. His hair was a little shorter then I remembered it and his eyes were soft brown like my mind had previously told me. He was so handsome.

"I'm Test Subject SSS02…," I told him softly. "But I'm more commonly known as Leyha."

I think through the bars and darkness I saw him smile. Wasn't he scared of where we are?

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

He looked around for a bit in the dark before answering. "Not long, I suppose; a month maybe. Some pale chick found me and took me a guy named Rofashil. That's when he started to inject me…."

He'd gone through what I had. Well I suppose that would have been obvious looking back considering he ends up the same as me.

"He did the same to me," I whispered. A shudder rocked my body at what I think was me remembering what had happened previously.

"Well it's nice to meet you Leyha," he said and extended a hand through the bars. "You might find comfort in knowing there are six more of us in the cells so you're not alone."

"Nice to meet you too, Brandon," I said extending my hand to shake his before letting go.

Footsteps were coming closer. My breaths became faster.

"Who's that?" I asked. Something in me already knew though.

"Be brave Leyha," Brandon said taking my hand in his again. He looked me in the eyes willing me to be strong.

"Help me!" I cried. The footsteps were outside my cell. The sound of a key went into the rusted lock and the door was forced open.

"It'll be fine, Leyha," Brandon tried to say soothingly. His eyes kept darting to the figure behind me.

Strong hands grabbed at me from behind and hauled me up, off the ground.

"Brandon! Please!" I screamed.

I was shoved over someone's shoulder and carried out of the cell into a room with bright lights.

"Have courage, Leyha!" Brandon shouted to me.

I could hear a voice coming from the person carrying me.

"Leyha! Leyha, wake up! Look at me, Leyha! Leyha!" the person carrying yelled at me. He put me down and started shaking me.

I shoved my arms out as strong as I could to defend myself from Rofashil.

"Get off me! Please, Brandon, don't let him hurt me!"

My eyes focused in then. I was sweaty and I felt cold. Liam was on the floor. I was awake.

"Liam?" I shouted. I blurred to his side and check to see if he was alive. I must have pushed him when I thought I was pushing Rofashil.

_Thump, thump… thump, thump… thump, thump…_

I sighed in relief. He was alive.

"Liam? Wake up… c'mon," I said while gently slapping his cheek to try and get him to wake up.

A murmur came from his lips and his eyes fluttered open.

"Hey there," he said hoarsely. "You're awake."

I laughed almost hysterically. "Yeah, I'm awake. Are you ok? I didn't mean to hurt you."

He didn't seem bothered. He looked at me with his wide eyes. He reminded me of a puppy.

"I'm fine. I forgot how strong you were." He sat up and winced in pain, clutching his side to help stop it from hurting.

"I think I just bruised my rib," he said. "I'll be healed once we're inside."

This got my attention. I didn't even know where we were or where everyone was.

I looked around surprised to see we weren't in the plane but in a helicopter instead. I stood up straight quickly to get a view of where we were.

"I didn't want to wake you earlier so I carried you when we had to go onto the helicopter. We're at the Royal Court now." He looked down a little embarrassed. He was so damn cute when he did that. Definitely like a puppy. "Lissa said that after you helped defend us at the airport that she's going to discuss you being allowed freedom instead of being treated like a prisoner."

I was in shock. I never thought I'd have freedom again.

"Oh my gosh! This is amazing!" I squealed. I hugged Liam excitedly before he grunted from the pain. "Oops, I'm sorry; forgot." I tried to look sorry but I was so excited about having freedom again.

"Don't get too worked up yet," Liam warned. "Lissa has to bring it up with the counsel first. They can be really hard to convince."

My face fell. Of course I shouldn't have gotten excited. It took Lissa ages just to get them to let me transfer here. Now she wants to convince them to let me walk free.

"Help me up, I have an idea," Liam said with an evil grin. I wasn't sure if I should be worried or not but I helped him up anyway.

"What is going on in that head of yours?" I asked with a nervous laugh.

"Well Lissa put me under strict instruction to 'wake her up and take her to the cells'," he recited. "But you know… she didn't say that we couldn't go and get lunch on our way up there."

I couldn't help but laugh. This guy was crazy. He'd get in so much trouble if he were caught. Then a thought struck me.

"Liam…what about my eyes? People are going to notice. They're not exactly natural," I protested. It was going to be hard to walk among Moroi and Dhampirs when my eyes were brighter than a Strigoi.

"I have an idea. In the mean time keep your eyes down and have your hair so it covers as much of your face as possible," he said.

Liam helped me out of the helicopter before I realized I was going to have trouble walking around since I could hardly see. Liam came to the same conclusion.

He grabbed my hand with his and started to lead me into the main fall. I was nervous at first with the contact but I told myself it was just to help me see.

I saw a lot of concrete before stone steps almost tripped me. Liam helped me up them slowly and then suddenly we were in what sort of reminded me of a mall. I could smell food—real flavored food. My mouth watered. I could eat a whole McDonald's Big-Mac large meal by myself right now. Yum…

Liam led me to a corner and let go of my hand.

"Wait here," he whispered. "I'll be right back."

I nodded my head and waited in the shadows of the corner.

Liam was gone about five minutes before he came back with a bag. He'd gone to a pharmacy.

"Here, put these on," he said handing me a fake blonde wig, a contacts case and some hair bands.

I laughed. This was Liam's master plan; to make myself look less…Strigoi.

I looked at the wig he got me. "You bought me a Hanna Montana wig?" I asked and laughed so hard I thought I might cry.

He looked a little embarrassed but laughed along too. "It's not supposed to be Hanna Montana but it's all they had. Sorry."

I put my hair up using a hair bands and adjusted the wig to look natural. I'd never gone blonde before. I'd always kept myself to have my natural dark brown colour.

The last thing was the contacts. They were dark blue and similar to what my old color was. Did he know this was similar to the color my eyes use to be? I put them in and looked up for his approval.

"Almost like an entirely new person," he said laughing.

I looked around and saw a food court. It was huge. Cafés everywhere and even, to my utter delighted surprise, a McDonalds. I squealed in excited and started to drag Liam in line. No one even gave me a second glance. I was just like them.

I couldn't stop smiling. This was the most normal thing I'd done in so long. Liam made me feel like a normal teenager again.

I ordered a burger and chips and made Liam pay since I'd left my wallet at home... months ago. Kind of made me wonder if Aurore had left my front door open all those months ago when she'd taken me to Rofashil.

I bit into the burger and felt my mouth water. Greasy deliciousness. Yum!

"Thanks, Liam," I tried to say around my burger. It came out more like "huanks, iamm," though.

He smiled and took a sip from the coke he'd ordered.

It didn't take me long to finish eating since I'd practically eaten the whole thing without chewing. I didn't want to go back to my cell but I knew I had to go back eventually.

I stood up and Liam gestured for me to follow him. I walked slowly soaking in the scenery. The place was huge. There was food stalls everywhere. We walked past a news agency and something caught my eye.

A news paper was displayed on sale. I could tell it was just a Moroi and Dhampir newspaper since the front cover article would have made no sense to humans.

'_The Girl of Four- who is she really?' _I walked over to the stand and examined the article.

_**Sarah Tarus**_

_Many people wonder about the new alleged 'Girl of Four'. Who is she though? __Supposedly she's __a girl of the four different species; Human, Moroi, Dhampir and Strigoi. Specialists are nicknaming__ her condition a 'Dhampoi'. Some say she was born this way and others say she was made this way. Queen Vasilisa Dragomir has been fighting for her transfer to the Royal Court for months and finally, last Wednesday, won the court case. Do we really want something part Strigoi wondering around among us?_

_The topic has been debated among the Royals for a long time now. "She's not dangerous. I've been training with her for a long time now and she's just like you and me. I suggest she be able to become one of us. She's shouldn't have to feel isolated. What happened to her wasn't her fault. She's just a teenage girl on the inside," said Queen Vasilisa after her meeting with the Royals last Monday. _

_She allegedly has the blood lust of a Strigoi and yet, as of next Tuesday, she'll be in the Royal Court itself, said to arrive via a helicopter. Has Queen Vasilisa has just handed the Moroi over to a monster that could kill us? Moroi representative for the Voda Royal Family said, "Vasilisa was certain in saying that she wouldn't harm us. I can only hope she isn't wrong. She's put the lives of her people at risk. I can only hope the Dhampoi can behave herself."_

I put the paper down refusing to read any more. It was utter rubbish. So long as no Moroi came up to me and hug me like crazy, I wasn't going to bite anyone. This was so frustrating.

Liam came over and gave me an apologetic smile. I sighed. I suppose it could have been worse.

And then it did.

I saw a Moroi Celebrity Magazine to my left named "Moroi Mag". I would have laughed at the originality of the magazine if it hadn't been for the picture on the front cover.

The headline was, '_Royal Shame over Ivashkov with Dhampoi'. _The picture was a black and white photo taken from a security camera of me and Adrian kissing in my cell.

My cheeks went bright red. I hadn't known there were security cameras watching. Who could have gotten hold of the footage anyway? Wasn't that under protection of the Guardians?

"This can't be happening…," I whispered. Liam looked over to see what I was looking at and quickly turned his head like he'd just seen something he shouldn't have.

"You and Ivashkov, huh?" he asked conversationally. At least he wasn't being mean about it and giving me a list of reasons on why Adrian was a jerk.

"We're not together…," I said trying to defend myself. "I mean… I know it looks like we are but…it's complicated. We kissed. That's it."

Liam laughed. "Calm down, I was interrogating you. You might want to think of maybe having an interview with someone though. Maybe Moroi and Dhampirs would be more comfortable with you if they got to know you better."

That was actually a good idea. "Yeah, I'll talk to Lissa about it," I said with a huge smile. "Come on, I better get up to my cell. If anyone finds out I went to eat McDonalds then I'd get in huge trouble."

Liam led me through the food court. We walked and talked about nothing in particular before and a tall figure in a hoodie drew my attention.

I paused and stared. The figure was male and familiar. He was in the corner away from most people and was staring right at me. Familiar Emerald eyes met mine and my heart stuttered.

_Adrian._


End file.
